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- Feb 5, 2017
This is from Emerging Civil War The November 2024 "CVBT History Wire" by Tim Talbott
The day after the Battle of Fredericksburg, Maj. James Wren, 48th Pennsylvania, wrote a humorous account in his diary. Three of his men broke into a Fredericksburg house and found a "Carpenter's store room." One of the men thought he had found a cache of flour and told his pards, "We be got him now, lads. Fill your haversacks." After all loaded up, one said "Now, lads, let's go down to the fire & we will have some Johnny Cakes." One got firewood, another got water, and the other started whipping up a batter. The cooking got underway, but the flap jacks weren't browning. "Turn 'em over any'ow," said one. The chef said they were hard, but passed them out anyway. One soldier couldn't cut his with his knife. Another grabbed a rock to break his and "tried to bite it." One exclaimed after a taste, "**** 'em . . . is plaster [of] Paris!" Another said, "Well, Jack, I did think it was **** heavy flour in my haversack."
The day after the Battle of Fredericksburg, Maj. James Wren, 48th Pennsylvania, wrote a humorous account in his diary. Three of his men broke into a Fredericksburg house and found a "Carpenter's store room." One of the men thought he had found a cache of flour and told his pards, "We be got him now, lads. Fill your haversacks." After all loaded up, one said "Now, lads, let's go down to the fire & we will have some Johnny Cakes." One got firewood, another got water, and the other started whipping up a batter. The cooking got underway, but the flap jacks weren't browning. "Turn 'em over any'ow," said one. The chef said they were hard, but passed them out anyway. One soldier couldn't cut his with his knife. Another grabbed a rock to break his and "tried to bite it." One exclaimed after a taste, "**** 'em . . . is plaster [of] Paris!" Another said, "Well, Jack, I did think it was **** heavy flour in my haversack."
Bringing the